World Cup 2018: 3 players who should not be in Germany's 23-man squad

#1 Sebastian Rudy

Rudy's flexibility earned him a spot in Löw's squad

Rudy is arguably one of the most underrated players in German football at the moment, nevertheless, his call-up for Russia is mind-boggling and can only be justified by his ability to fill in at almost any defensive position.

When Bayern Munich came knocking on the Hoffenheim's door for the central midfielder last summer, Rudy was finally recognized as one of the best German midfielders in the Bundesliga. In a double move, that included youngster Niklas Süle, Rudy tried to take the next step with the German powerhouse.

However, while his ball-playing abilities were enough to earn him a spot in Bayern's midfield rotation, it became obvious, that Rudy wouldn't make it into their starting XI. Therefore, making the cut in Germany's highly contested central midfield sparked a lot of controversies.

Presumably, the former Hoffenheim player will travel to Russia as an emergency back-up for both, the central midfielders and right-back Joshua Kimmich, thereby freeing up a further spot for Joachim Löw to fill on another position.

It is questionable whether Rudy will be able to do so if called upon though. It would seem far more reasonable to take a more talented midfielder, like Emre Can or Max Meyer, as Matthias Ginter already fills the role as the defensive 'jack of all trades'.

Löw is an outspoken supporter of the Bayern midfielder, backing his move to the German giants last year by telling German football magazine Kicker:

"He has a incredibly good feeling for the position, he can make the game flow. Bayern is a good step, with his technical abilities he can play there. The competition at Bayern is massive, but I believe he can do it.

It remains to be seen whether Rudy can pay back the trust of his manager. However, considering the circumstances, he is our no. 1 German player who should not have been selected for the titleholder's 23-man squad.